This chicken zucchini soup features tender chicken thighs cooked along with zucchinis and a handful of simple vegetables for an easy, delicious meal. Made without potatoes, noodles or rice it's a nourishing, satisfying dish that's low in carbs as well as fat.
This chicken zucchini soup is made using chicken thighs for maximum flavour and a generous amount of zucchini for texture and substance. The zucchinis naturally thicken the soup so there is no need to add flour, potatoes, noodles or rice. It's high in protein, light, low in fat as well as calories. One serving contains approx. 20g of protein and less than 200 calories.
Making this chicken thigh and zucchini soup is simple. Start by searing the chicken and sauteing a few essential vegetables until they soften and release flavour. While the chicken simmers with the stock prepare the zucchinis and carrots, then combine these with the broth and continue cooking for several minutes until all the ingredients are tender.
You do need to separate the chicken from the bone and chop it before serving, but this is a simple step as the chicken will be quite soft and fall off the bone easily. See detailed instructions below.
Chicken zucchini soup ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken: I used chicken thighs, but 2-3 chicken legs can be used, instead.
- Zucchinis.
- Carrots.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Celery.
- Lemon thyme: it's the perfect accompaniment to both chicken as well as zucchini, but if you can't get it use ordinary thyme, instead. Alternatively use dried thyme or your favourite herb mix (½-1 tsp dried).
- Bay leaf.
- Stock: use either vegetable or chicken stock. As there is already a lot of chicken flavour in this soup I personally prefer to use vegetable stock.
- Olive oil and butter.
- Salt and pepper: freshly ground green peppercorns are nice in this recipe, but you can use black pepper, instead.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Sear chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a pot heat the oil, add the chicken pieces and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until they start to change colour. Remove from the pot and place in a bowl.
2. Sautee vegetables: To the same pot add the onion, celery, bay leaf and butter and cook gently over a low heat for 5-6 minutes until softened stirring often. Towards the end stir in the garlic and thyme.
3. Add chicken: Return the chicken to the pot (along with the juices), add the stock, cover and bring to the boil. Lover the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
TIP: In the meantime prepare the zucchini and carrots.
4. Add zucchini: Add the zucchini and carrots, cover, increase the heat and bring to the boil again then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until the carrots are tender). Remove from the heat, take the bay leaf out of the soup and discard.
5. Chop chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot, place on a large plate/cutting board and separate the meat from the bones. Chop/shred the meat and set aside.
6. Adjust consistency: Using an immersion blender or potato masher partly puree/mash the vegetables in the soup. This will thicken the soup.
TIP: For me a chunky texture makes for a more interesting soup, but you can puree it until creamy (then add the chicken), if you prefer.
7. Serve: Return the chopped chicken to the pot, adjust the seasoning, if needed, and serve.
*Scroll down to the bottom of the post for a full, printable list of ingredients and instructions.
Serving suggestions
This low carb chicken soup with zucchini is delicious served with red pepper flakes, grated parmesan or another hard Italian cheese, either on its own or alongside garlic bread, French-style crusty bread or topped with croutons. For a more substantial meal you can add cooked noodles or rice to individual portions.
Making this soup using chicken breast
Dark chicken meat has a more intense, robust flavour than chicken breast, which is why I tend to use it in all my chicken soup recipes, including this one (see also Polish rosol or chicken potato soup). It becomes tender the longer it cooks (which also makes it perfect for stews), while white meat can be tough and stringy if cooked too long. For that reason, if your heart is set on using white meat I recommend opting for ready-to-eat leftover chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken) rather than cooking chicken from raw in the soup.
To make this zucchini and chicken soup using chicken breast/rotisserie chicken omit Steps 1 and 3, add the stock along with the zucchini and carrots in Step 2 and cook for 20 minutes. Next omit Step 5, continue to Step 6 and add the chicken in Step 7.
TIP: You may need to add more herbs and seasoning to compensate for the delicate, mild flavour of chicken breast.
Optional ingredients you can use
These can include:
- A handful of chopped baby spinach, added towards the end of cooking.
- Frozen petits pois/garden peas, for sweetness. Add about ½ cup towards the end of cooking.
- Canned beans, such as flageolet, haricot or cannellini, for more protein. Add about a cupful along with the zucchini and carrots.
TIP: If you decide to add more ingredients you may need to also add a little more seasoning and/or stock.
Top tips
- For best results - a rich, flavourful soup - use skinless chicken thighs with the bone (alternatively, chicken legs).
- Try not to add more stock than the recommended amount (the vegetables will release moisture as they cook, see photos).
- Add the zucchinis and carrots about halfway through cooking.
- Leftover chicken zucchini soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Related recipes to try next
See also these other easy, delicious soup recipes!
Recipe
Simple Chicken Zucchini Soup (Healthy)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Immersion blender or potato masher
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs skinless, with the bone
- 2 pounds (900 g) zucchini chopped
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 onion med/large, finely chopped
- 1½ celery ribs finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves or to taste, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme or reg. thyme, leaves only, add to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups (960 ml) stock vegetable or chicken
- 1 tablespoon oil any
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sear chicken: Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a pot heat the oil, add the chicken pieces and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until they start to change colour. Remove from the pot and place in a bowl.
- Sautee vegetables: To the same pot add the onion, celery, bay leaf and butter and cook gently over a low heat for 5-6 minutes until softened stirring often. Towards the end stir in the garlic and thyme.
- Add chicken: Return the chicken to the pot (along with the juices), add the stock, cover and bring to the boil. Lover the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.TIP: In the meantime prepare the zucchini and carrots.
- Add zucchini: Add the zucchini and carrots, cover, increase the heat and bring to the boil again then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until the carrots are tender). Remove from the heat, take the bay leaf out of the soup and discard.
- Chop chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot, place on a large plate/cutting board and separate the meat from the bones. Chop/shred the meat and set aside.
- Adjust consistency: Using an immersion blender or potato masher partly puree/mash the vegetables in the soup. This will thicken the soup.TIP: For me a chunky texture makes for a more interesting soup, but you can puree it until creamy (then add the chicken), if you prefer.
- Serve: Return the chopped chicken to the pot, adjust the seasoning, if needed, and serve.
Notes
- For best results - a rich, flavourful soup - use skinless chicken thighs with the bone (alternatively use chicken legs).
- Try not to add more stock than the recommended amount (the vegetables will release moisture as they cook, see photos).
- Add the zucchinis and carrots about halfway through cooking.
- Serve with more fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, parmesan or similar hard Italian cheese, on its own or with garlic bread.
- Leftover chicken and zucchini soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this easy chicken zucchini soup recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks.
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